T (Thea) van den Berg

Roots and resilience
I am interested in the intricate relationship between plant development and the environment, and how this interaction shapes plant growth and plasticity. Using systems biology approaches, modeling, and data analysis I study how processes at different organizational levels – from tissues to whole plants – give rise to emergent properties that determine plant functioning.

As a Postdoctoral researcher in the CSA group, I work within the CropXR project to investigate how root traits contribute to plant resilience under drought. My research focuses on identifying which root characteristics are most relevant for coping with limited water availability.  By integrating experimental insights into functional–structural plant models (FSPM), I aim to gain understanding how root plasticity shapes whole-plant functioning and population performance under water stress.